


The Princess and the Pup

by Nyx Nox (Nellis123)



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Carlos de Vil Needs a Hug, Evie & Carlos de Vil Friendship, Protective Evie (Disney)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellis123/pseuds/Nyx%20Nox
Summary: The scrawny looking boy was a mystery to the blue-haired girl. Being stuck in the castle meant things were just her and her mother — at least it had until she spotted the freckled boy that lived across the way from her.A short series examining the companionship (since caring and friendship is frowned upon on the Isle) between Evie and Carlos before the news of going to Auradon came. References to the book Isle of the Lost are present.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	1. Tortured Souls

**Author's Note:**

> Do you ever get those little plot bunnies that pop up and refuse to let you write anything else until after you’ve written it out? Yeah. This is one of those.

Castle schooling ended for the day and Evie was given thirty minutes of freedom before supper. She had hoped her ninth birthday would have meant being given more time to roam the grounds and was proven sorely mistaken in having thought such a thing. Her mother took offense to her innocent request and threatened to take it away altogether. She was still worried that her speaking before being spoken to would result in her time outside being cut short.

Evie never roamed too far since she wasn’t sure of what would happen if she left the castle’s grounds. Her mother made it sound like the ground would open up and swallow her if she so much as set foot on the street and it certainly wasn’t worth trying to find out what would happen if she disobeyed.

Three years being cooped up indoors proved to be incredibly lonely. While her mother seemed to care about her, she wasn’t sure if it was the idea of her or truly her own existence that her mother appreciated. The woman wasn’t overly warm to her and spent more time picking her apart for not behaving properly than anything else. Some days felt like she couldn’t even breathe without being ripped into for behaving in an un-princess-like way.

The dreary existence had one day where it wasn’t overly dull. She spotted a boy that looked about her age running into the house across from hers. Having never spotted anyone coming and going from it kept her interested in what the boy was like. She spent time observing him and sometimes tried sending messages from her bedroom window. They were never anything overly obvious, but she secretly hoped he would one day catch on and start flickering the light in his bedroom on and off in response to her doing it.

Her being allowed outside was around the time where he should have been going back into the house. Knowing that caused her to inch closer toward the path outside the castle than she usually would have. She wanted to see if she could grab his attention and find someone to talk to that wasn’t her mother. Evie spotted him and quickly looked around the sad looking front yard that separated her home from the rest of the Isle. She found a rotten apple from the dying tree on the property and picked it up, weighing it in her palm and curling her fingers around it to get ready to throw it if he didn’t spot her.

The boy crept closer to the house and paused, taking a deep breath once outside the broken gate separate the road that led to Hell Hall from the rest of the Isle. His gaze lingered on one of the broken windows to it and he worried his lip with his top teeth. A rotten apple landed at his feet and he jumped back, immediately turning on his heel since it couldn’t have come from the property. His mother made sure all the trees outside the house got taken down since she was tired of seeing the eyesores. He was truly grateful that her not wanting the so-called “eyesores” didn’t include getting rid of his treehouse.

His confusion was evident when he didn’t immediately spot the cause. He could hear his pulse racing in his ears and was ready to take off running since it likely meant one of the bullies from school had followed him home. Another apple came soaring from across the way, this one landing at his feet. He wrinkled his nose then picked it up, silently examining it before looking in the direction it rolled from. His eyes widened when he spotted a girl and he pressed his tongue against his cheek, leaning down to pick up the other apple before walking toward the property across from his mother’s house.

Carlos didn’t say anything and held his hand out to her once he got to the fallen rock wall that separated the castle from the street. The withered apples small enough to rest in his palm.

The girl sniffed then wrinkled her nose, tilting her head up when she realized he was trying to give them back to her.

“I don’t need those.” Evie scoffed and fixed him with the glare her mother made her practice before bed each night. A small smirk briefly twitched over her lips since it sent him stumbling away from her.

“They must be yours,” The boy mumbled and looked down at his feet. “M-Momma got rid of ours.”

Evie narrowed her eyes at him and slowly took in his appearance. He looked tired and she couldn’t tell if it was bags or bruises beneath his eyes. She would have felt sorry for him if he wasn’t the one with the freedom to roam the Isle.

“Well, they aren’t,” She lied and glanced back at the house. There were no shadows in the windows so her mother must have been serious about bathing before getting dinner prepped. “Who are you anyway?”

Truthfully, the boy looked familiar but Evie had never learned the names of the few children she was exposed to before being shut away from the rest of the Isle. Her mother wanted her to worry about herself and not spend time fretting about not having anyone her own age around.

“None of your —” The rest of his sentence was lost to a whistle interrupting his train of thought. He dropped both apples to the ground then shook his head. “You’ve not seen me.”

“Runt,” His mother screamed from down the road. “Get the hell in here before I come up with a reason to make sure you don’t leave again.”

Carlos shuddered then took off running back toward Hell Hall, unable to disguise the look of panic on his features once at his mother’s side. The last thing Evie saw was him looking back at her from over his shoulder before disappearing down the street.

“Runt,” She mumbled under her breath. It was certainly a peculiar name for a child but seemed rather fitting since he was as small as he was. She carefully examined her fingers and hands to make sure she hadn’t gotten dirty from throwing things at him.

A pleased sigh escaped when she found no dirt under her fingers. It hadn’t been very ladylike to throw the apples but she had succeeded in getting Runt’s attention. Maybe a few more interactions like the first would be enough to get him to start talking to her on his way back from school.


	2. Collared and Leashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interaction with the boy from down the street leaves Evie with more questions than she had when they first started talking.

Hanging out by the edge of the property became a regular thing on the days when Evie was certain her mother wasn’t paying attention to what she was up to. She never dared leave the property but she came pretty close to the edge — a few footsteps away from the spot that would likely cause the ground to swallow her up and make her face Maleficent’s wrath.

There was little reason for the action past pure curiosity. She knew little about the boy that sometimes passed by her home and he was always in a rush to get to wherever he was heading. Evie never got his name and he never asked for hers. Their interactions were peculiar but served as the one bit of entertainment she got outside of occasionally being allowed to watch the television.

“What’s that?” Evie called out on a dreary Tuesday evening. The boy flinched and looked up from the contraption he was fiddling with, not saying anything when his eyes met hers.

“Still not talking?” Evie sighed, looking bemused when the boy shook his head at her. “You know it’s been about two years of me bothering you and you still haven’t given me your name?”

Carlos shrugged at her then raised a hand up to mess with the collar around his neck. He was being punished and the collar was a desperate attempt of his mother’s at making him feel too embarrassed to show his face at school. She failed to realize that everyone at school hated him almost as much as she did so it wouldn’t make a difference in how he was treated.

“That’s new,” Evie added. Her eyes flickered from his face to the collar then back again. “Will you at least tell me why you have it?”

Carlos pressed his tongue against his cheek and gave a loud sigh, needing a breath before he tried speaking.

“So mom can keep better track of me,” He grumbled then shook his head. “At least it wasn’t the leash this time.”

“Leash?” Evie asked to make sure she had heard him right. The boy’s eyes widened then he quickly shook his head.

“I-I have to go,” He gasped out. “W-was only s’posed to go to school and b-back.” 

Evie opened her mouth to try to get him to stay a little longer but the boy took off running.


	3. Teacher’s Pest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evie is allowed to journey out of the castle, bumping into the boy from down the street on her way to school.

Several years would pass with minimal interaction between Evie and Runt. Try as she did, the boy appeared to want nothing to do with her. It was rather frustrating since her mother had her practicing to woo a prince. The practice felt like it was in vain since she couldn’t get the quiet boy’s attention long enough to hold a proper conversation. Her first full interaction with him (outside of throwing the occasional rock or apple at him) came the day she was finally allowed to leave the castle.

Evie was ready, poised, and properly dressed for the school day. Her mother made sure she knew what to expect and made her swear there would be no bad reports from the teachers. One toe out of line and she would be right back to castle schooling and needing to request her mother’s permission any time she wanted to do something.

She said bye to her mother then slipped her knapsack over her shoulder, making it about ten steps away from the castle before she breathed out a sigh of relief. The ground hadn’t opened up and swallowed her for leaving. Her feet were firmly on the ground and she had no reason to believe something terrible would happen that day.

The positive start to the day proved to be short-lived once she continued down the dilapidated pathway that would get her to school. Her gaze was focused on the cracked path beneath her feet, only shifting when there was a sound of shattered glass and the sound of Runt’s mother shouting at him before sending him off to school.

Carlos ran from the dining room when his mother threw the first glass at him. The second one she aimed at him was surprising since she wasn’t one for wasting nice things on him. He rounded the path from the home then was sent tumbling and landing at Evie’s feet, staring up at her with a panicked expression.

Evie narrowed her eyes at the boy and fixed an annoyed look on her features. He was trembling at her feet and she spotted blood dripping down his shoulder. The only logical explanation for that was the sound of glass shattering that was heard before he came out of the house.

She didn’t say anything at first, opting to look him over with a slightly disgusted expression. She was a princess after all and the boy in his overly ragged shorts and hole covered t-shirt was not meant to be a bother to her.

Carlos curled into the fetal position with his hands protectively covering his neck. It was a matter of time before the teen would start beating him up for having run into her. It didn’t matter what he did; someone always had a problem with him.

He looked up at her when the blows didn’t start coming down, eyes meeting the blue-haired girl’s with a concerned expression. She raised an eyebrow at him then took a deep breath, tugging her cloak over her hand before offering to help him stand up. Her nose wrinkled when he was back on his feet and she brushed off her cloak, looking him over with a wary expression.

The boy didn’t say anything and Evie was left feeling rather perplexed by the situation. She allowed another moment of silence to pass between them before deciding to be the one to say something.

“Were you heading to school?” She figured the question was harmless enough and was relieved to earn a nod from him. “It’s my first day.”

Carlos gave another nod then took a few steps forward, head cocking to the side when she didn’t fall into step with him. He needed to at least get out of sight from Hell Hall before he could willingly risk speaking.

The argument from the morning stemmed from his tripping over his words. Not having his ears boxed in before school was his saving grace for the day since it meant not needing to sit in the front row of seats. His classmates had enough issues with him without his looking like he was trying to stay on the teachers’ good sides.

Evie followed after him then went to take a right when they reached the end of the path that led from their homes. Carlos quickly shook his head and cleared his throat, not expecting his voice to be at full volume after having gotten in a shouting match with his mother.

“School’s this way.” He murmured. Evie looked surprised when he spoke. She quickly fixed her expression into a more neutral look then nodded and turned in the direction he gestured toward.

“Right,” She sighed and tucked a strand of hair back into her braid. “It’s been a while since I last went to the other side of the Isle.”

“Evie, right?” Carlos asked after a few minutes spent walking in silence. He wasn’t used to having any sort of company besides his mother and occasionally Harry and Jace. The blue-haired girl looked exactly the same as she did at the one birthday party he had been allowed to go to.

“Evie,” She nodded then studied the boy one more time. He was awfully small when compared to her and was dressed in a mix of red, white, and black. The vest he wore reminded her of a skunk. “And you are...” She paused briefly to think back to the few times she had witnessed him going home. “Runt?”

Carlos’s eyes widened at that and he promptly shook his head. “N-n-no.” His ears went red when his stammer came out and he covered his mouth with his hand. His expression grew pained while he tried to get his breathing under control. Evie hadn’t berated him for the slip-up but seemed rather confused by his antics.

“Carlos,” He looked up at her once the shock of being referred to by the name his mother preferred to use for him wore off. “C-Carlos De Vil. You’ve probably heard my mother.” The red coloring remained on his ears and spread to his cheeks.

“A pleasure to properly be acquainted with you.” Evie sighed. Carlos tilted his head to the side in reply.

“I went to your birthday party,” He murmured. It had been over a decade ago and was likely a sore subject for the blue-haired princess but the cat he got from it had been one of the happier parts of his dismal life. “The cat from it is the only being that seems to like me.”

“Excuse me,” Evie looked back down at the boy. “What exactly does that mean?”

“You’ll see,” Carlos rolled his eyes. “School tradition of beating me up and getting shoved into lockers.”

“Wait,” Evie blinked a few times then pressed her lips together to hide the perplexed look that was trying to grace her features. “You’re from the house across from mine?”

“Yeah.” Carlos pressed his tongue against his cheek, already anticipating the question that would come next.

“I thought that was just the crazy lady and the dog she’s always shouting at,” Evie whispered, not having put two and two together in regards to the boy she only ever got brief glances of.

“N-No,” Carlos shook his head and shuddered. “We d-don’t have... It’s just me and her. N-no d-d-d-dogs. I’m not even supposed to let the c-cat in.”

“Then who is she always referring to as her pet?” Evie whispered, face going pale beneath the layer of blush on her cheeks.

“Me.” Carlos deadpanned and looked down at his feet. He didn’t want to look at her if things turned into her making fun of him for it.

“Oh,” Evie sighed. She didn’t know what else to say about the subject so she opted for changing it. “What class do you have first?”

“Selfishness 101,” He shrugged, nose wrinkling when Evie smiled at him. “It’s all about portraits of our parents in their glory.”

“I am in that one,” She nodded. “Nice to know I’ll have a familiar face in the class when I get there.”

“You don’t want to associate with me,” Carlos shook his head. “They started picking on — It’s b-best you act like you don’t know me. Trust me.”


	4. Caught in a Trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trick from Mal leaves Carlos scrambling to make sure Evie doesn’t end up getting blood all over his mother’s precious furs.

The scars on his leg were healed over but the very idea of venturing back into the closet to make sure Mal’s scheme didn’t end with blood getting all over his mother’s furs left his calf feeling as though the wound from the bear trap was still fresh. He heard the snap of one of the traps from outside the door followed by the blood-curdling scream of the girl inside. He couldn’t move, stuck frozen waiting to see if another sound followed.

Carlos knew his way in and out of the closet since his bed was in the room on the opposite end of it. There was a hidden entrance to the dressing room that he had entered through, now frozen near the exit that led to his mother’s furs.

Several more metallic snaps echoed then Carlos flung the door open, promptly tugging Evie through the exit before the traps closest to her went off. He gave a groan of annoyance when the action caused two of his mother’s furs to come out with her.

“Dalmatians,” He groaned then muttered incoherently under his breath. Carlos picked up the furs from the floor and made a face when he went to put them back. It meant that two hours of the cleanup plan for the following day would be dedicated to resetting traps and making sure the furs were in perfect condition.

“Are you okay?” He asked once he hung the furs back up. Evie was the least of his concerns now that he knew her blood wouldn’t be all over his mother’s furs or the closet.

“I believe so,” She gave a bitter laugh. “Does this mean I won Mal’s game?”

“She’s going to be pissed you made it out unscathed,” Carlos chuckled. “That’s good enough for me.” He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when they returned to the party.

Evie looked around after that and made a face, taking in what appeared to be a dressing room. The corner closest to her had a dog bed carelessly shoved into it and a few drawings taped up by it that had to belong to Carlos.

“What is this place?” Her question caused Carlos to look down at his feet, shifting uncomfortably when he tilted his head toward the chair that held the few belongings his mother allowed him to keep.

“Home,” The word came out in a whisper. If Evie hadn’t seen his lips move, she wouldn’t have heard him at all. Having thought to flip his bed over was certainly a plus since it hid the bloodstains from his mother’s last punishment. Evie had made it through the closet alive though so he doubted she would have questioned it.

“Home?” She repeated. Her mother’s constant obsession over her appearance left her mastering a neutral expression. Evie felt an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. She couldn’t quite place her finger on it but it came down to thinking Carlos deserved better than the lumpy looking excuse of a bed — not that she would even call it one.

Carlos gave a nod then reopened the closet door, trying to regain some semblance of the order his mother kept her furs in back.

“Things aren’t so bad in here,” She sighed. “Plus, you’ve got the fur coats so you won’t get cold during the winter.”

“Oh no,” Carlos shook his head. There was a brief look of panic that took over. “No, no, no. I’m not supposed to touch them unless she asks me to reorganize and brush them out. Which... That can wait until tomorrow. She’s not back until Sunday anyway.” 

There was always the chance that the spa dried up and she was forced to come home early but that had only happened a few times in the last year. With the party having taken off the way it did he could only hope her absence wouldn’t be cut short.

He stayed quiet after that and rummaged around one of the drawers of his mother’s vanity, a look of relief washing over when he found the brush that was reserved for his mother’s furs.

“Carlos,” Evie murmured then pulled her mirror out of her bag, looking over her reflection to make sure her moment of terror hadn’t ruined her complexion. She needed to fix her braid.

“What?” The too-small teen tilted his head at her, half expecting her to make another comment about his living situation.

“I’ve got an old comforter,” She shrugged. “Mum and I don’t use it. I could... Well, if you get cold — I mean, never mind.” Carlos’s gaze met hers and he slowly opened then closed his mouth, uncertain about what to say since it sounded like she was actually planning on offering it to him.

“Nah,” Evie shook her head. “Forget I said anything.” She didn’t want to come across as being too nice. The hopeful expression Carlos wore was the only thing that kept her from quickly changing the subject.

“N-N-No,” He stammered and shook his head, swallowing back the anxious feeling that was trying to make itself known. His cheeks were bright red when he looked up at her. “I know you don’t care, b-b-but... No one’s ever g-given a damn about me b-being cold.”

His gaze settled on his shoes and he hunched into himself, waiting for Evie to announce she was kidding.

“Oh, I certainly do not care,” Evie nodded in agreement with what he said. There was still a small part of her that was unsettled knowing a mother allowed her child to live under the conditions Carlos had. “We were planning on throwing it out anyway.”

“Then consider my room your garbage pail,” Carlos chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “Wait, would you —“ He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and chanced looking back over at her. His face was beet red by the time he spoke again. “Were you planning to get rid of a pillow too? I’ve never... M-mom wouldn’t...”

Evie’s expression faltered when she heard his question and Carlos rapidly shook his head. “I mean I’ve had plenty of them. What parent wouldn’t give their kid a basic necessity like that? Cert-Certainly n-not my m-mother.”

“Yes,” Evie pressed her lips to suppress the small smile that was trying to take over. “I believe we have one that matches the comforter. It’s purple but...”

“That’s better than nothing,” Carlos nodded. The two were left with an unfamiliar sensation in their chests. Carlos had a small smile and Evie was struggling to mask the grin that was trying to go over her lips.

“So what happened to it being best I avoid you?” She gave a soft laugh then paused to reapply her lipgloss.

“I couldn’t risk getting mum’s favorite fur covered in blood,” Carlos smirked. “Surely you must understand that.”


	5. Just a Pretty Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cruella doesn’t approve of Evie and her son spending time together.

Having successfully located Maleficent’s staff meant the four teens spent more time together than ever before. For Carlos, it meant his mother getting used to Mal, Evie, and Jay occasionally being over on weeknights. It was usually under the guise of studying with their switching from one home to the other.

Carlos quickly learned his mother could tolerate the three being over but wasn’t a fan of having only one or two of them around. With Jay, it was her whining about the most recent way his father ripped her off. Mal made her uncomfortable since she knew she could report back to Maleficent. Evie was a different case from the others.

The two teens were sat at the wobbly dining room table, going over a homework assignment that left them stumped until they agreed that putting their heads together was a better idea than getting frustrated while doing it by themselves. Evie couldn’t have been happier that Carlos lived nearby since it was a short walk to Hell Hall when she gave up on trying to figure the science equation out.

They were whispering back and forth with a piece of scrap paper between them, only pausing their work when the front door slammed shut. Carlos glanced down at the shattered watch on his wrist and blanched.

“Shoot,” He whispered and cast a sideways glance at Evie. “She can’t get m-mad with you here. I’ll b-be right back.” His chair wobbled when he jumped out of it and darted into the kitchen, promptly lighting a burner on the stove and tossing a pot of brown colored water on it.

“Runt,” His mother shouted before hanging her coat on one of the hooks by the door. She gave a groan when her son didn’t immediately answer. He was going to be in a ton of trouble if he wasn’t home. “Get your ungrateful mug in here.”

Carlos took a steadying breath then approached where Evie was seated, teeth digging into his lower lip before he spoke. “We’re in here.”

He heard his mother swear under her breath then the woman arrived in the dining room, eyes narrowing when she spotted him and Evie together.

“Good afternoon, Ms. De Vil,” Evie forced a cheery smile and tugged her homework closer to where she sat.

“Y-Y-You’re home early,” He stammered when Cruella glared at him. “We’re f-finishing up a homework assignment.”

“You didn’t tell me you were having a friend over,” She scowled at her son then fixed her gaze on Evie. “You can leave.”

“But we haven’t finished!” Carlos cried out, promptly shrinking into himself when Cruella took a step closer to him. She towered over her son then reached forward and grabbed hold of his chin to force him to look her in the eye.

“Why don’t I smell dinner?” She smirked when Carlos whimpered and let go of him, back to glaring at Evie.

“The water still needs to b-b-boil,” Carlos sighed. “I th-thought you weren’t...” The rest of his statement was lost since Cruella was back to glaring at him.

“Right,” Evie cast a worried glance at Carlos and put her work back in the knapsack she used for school. “I will see what I can come up with at home and let you know tomorrow.” She could tell she wasn’t wanted and was quick to catch on.

“I don’t want you and my son in here alone again,” Cruella growled at Evie. The blue-haired teen took a step back, giving a confused look to the villain.

“We didn’t —” Carlos was interrupted by his mother holding a finger up and growling out the word ‘enough.’ He flinched back and stood in front of Evie.

“I cannot have you and Grimhilde’s trollop messing around in my home when I am not present,” Cruella spat out. Evie and Carlos exchanged a glance.

“He was helping me with my homework,” Evie spoke calmly despite not having appreciated Cruella’s choice of words. “That’s it.”

“Get out of my house now,” Cruella narrowed her eyes at the blue-haired teen. “I don’t need a whore in here trying to corrupt my son.”

Evie opened then slowly shut her mouth. She couldn’t be fully offended since Carlos said his mother had been more off than usual at the start of the week. It still hurt though — especially if it turned out that Cruella wasn’t the only one that had that opinion of her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Evie whispered to Carlos and grabbed her things, not bothering to look back at Carlos when she left the house. She let the door slam shut behind her and rushed back home, promptly throwing herself onto her bed once indoors.

“I said I expected dinner on the table when I was home,” Cruella spoke through gritted teeth. Carlos glared at her from across the table, having moved away from where his mother would have been able to hit him from since Evie left her notes on the homework behind. “Get that look off your face before I make you do it myself.”

Carlos didn’t need to be told twice, promptly wiping the look of distaste off his features and replacing it with the submissive mask she preferred.

“You d-didn’t need to talk to her like that,” Carlos mumbled, gaze focused on the rotting floor beneath his feet. His comment was met by Cruella surging forward and placing her hand around his neck.

A whimper escaped before he could stop it and his mother tightened her fingers around his neck, pressing in until he needed to gasp out for air to fill his lungs.

“Go finish making my dinner then go to your room,” Cruella spat in Carlos’s face and released him. “You won’t be eating tonight.”

“Yes, momma.” He whispered then massaged the spot where her fingers had been, using his other hand to wipe spit off his cheek. Cruella left the room and the sound of one of King Beast’s weekly fireside chats was heard from the sitting room.

Carlos was relieved to see the water started boiling in the time it took for his mother to kick Evie out of Hell Hall. He poured a box of expired pasta into the pot and grabbed a bent spoon from one of the drawers. His homework was in one hand while he stirred the pot with the other, suddenly gasping out when he figured the assignment out.

Evie was right about one of their equations being miswritten. They overlooked it the first two times they went over their notes. He would have to let her know since that would be quicker than trying to scrawl it out during class.

Carlos stepped out of the kitchen and into the dining hall, cautiously walking forward until he got a glimpse of his mother in the sitting room. She had her shoes off and her legs were stretched out, feet balancing on the table in front of the television. His gaze traveled from her legs to the arm she held up. He spotted a cigarette balanced between her fingers and grimaced.

The relaxed state his mother was in should have been a good sign. After all, it meant his knowing she was expecting him to deliver her dinner and follow through on going to his room. He was still overly nervous about it since she appeared to have gotten her hands on proper cigarettes instead of the vapor one she was trying to switch to.

He had ten minutes before food would be ready and his growling stomach was a reminder that she was the only one that would be eating that night. His rummaging around the cabinets brought about the discovery of more expired pasta and nothing else to snack on.

“For goblins’ sake.” He grumbled then shut the cupboards. They were due for going shopping since his checking the fridge earlier that day had come up empty-handed. Carlos pinched the bridge of his nose and gave the pot one more stir before ducking out the back door and sneaking around the property.

He was certain his mother wouldn’t look up from the tv program. His anxiety, however, left him incredibly on edge when he ran past the front of the house and down the street to where Evie lived. He was out of breath when he knocked the pattern he and Evie used to announce their presence to each other on the door.

She didn’t look happy when she opened the door but Carlos was relieved to see her.

“I figured out the assignment,” He gasped out and offered the note sheet they were sharing to her. “And— D-Don’t take mum’s comment to h-heart. The witch doctor was saying she needs to try a new tea to lose some of her t-tension. She said she won’t try iit.”

Evie raised an eyebrow at him then looked the paper over, laughing softly even though she was ready to start crying.

“I knew it. Off by one number,” She whispered. “And I’ll try not to. She got me worrying about whether or not Maleficent and Jafar think the same of me.”

“I doubt it,” He shook his head. “I’m just ashamed mother hasn’t figured out when to keep her mouth shut. Imagine if she said it about Mal.”

“Oh goblins, you would have been the next one of us to be stuck at home for a decade,” Evie gave a nervous laugh. “Are you going to need the notes back?”

“N-No,” Carlos shook his head. “Can you read them though? I-I rushed. M-m-mum wants dinner.”

“Yes I can,” Evie nodded. Carlos offered her a small smile then took off running back to the house, panting when he arrived in the kitchen. Cruella hadn’t appeared to move so he was in luck, having gotten back just in time for her to shout at him from the living room.

“One moment!” He cried out then cautiously dumped the water out of the pot. Carlos found a chipped bowl and put the pasta inside, leaving a few pieces of pasta in the pot so he had something in his stomach before bed. It would be a meager meal but a little bit of food and a glass of water was better than nothing at all.


	6. Out of Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A psychotic episode leaves Cruella with the delusional thought that one of her furs is missing, with her promptly blaming her son for it. The outburst takes a violent turn that brings Carlos to Evil Queen’s doorstep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for semi-graphic violence and references to psychosis.

Carlos spent the day cooped up indoors, cleaning up the already clean bottom level of Hell Hall since his mother decided things weren’t up to her expectations. She hadn’t allowed him to go to school and insisted the bottom floor be completely clean before the end of the day.

He was exhausted by the time he finished the dining room and curled up by the entrance to the kitchen. Closing his eyes was an accident and he was promptly woken up an unknown amount of time later to his mother kicking his side and calling him useless.

“Huh?” Carlos blinked several times then jumped to his feet, flinching back when his mother stepped closer to him.

“You had Jafar’s kid over again, didn’t you?” She growled when the question was met with a look of confusion.

“N-N-No,” Carlos shook his head, taking a moment to get a visual scan of his mother and the kitchen. Nothing was out of place. “What’s missing?”

“What’s missing?” Cruella snarled. “What’s missing? You have the audacity to ask me what’s missing when one of your classmates is the reason it’s gone in the first place?”

Carlos didn’t immediately answer since he wasn’t sure if the question was a rhetorical one or not. His hesitation earned an exasperated sigh from Cruella. She stepped aside so he had a path in the direction she wanted him heading in.

“Go,” She hissed out through gritted teeth. “See for yourself. The stupid bastard made off with one of my furs.”

“Yes, momma,” Carlos whispered then bolted upstairs, heart racing when he used the safe way of getting into his mother’s dressing room. He flung the closet door open and found nothing out of place.

“Not this again,” He whispered and shifted the heavy furs around. Nothing missing and nothing new. She must have been imagining it. There was no other explanation for it besides her having one of her fits and his needing to go along with it unless he wanted to make her condition worse.

Thunder crashed from outside and a bolt of lightning followed after. The flash of light caused him to jump back, wincing when he hit his head against the closet door. He would have to play along with whatever state his mother was in. There was no other choice unless he was willing to risk setting her off even more.

He took a minute to get his breathing under control then slowly crept downstairs. His mother hadn’t moved from the kitchen and had her back to him. He took a step forward and the floorboard creaked beneath his foot. Cruella turned to face him and he shuddered.

The angry glint in her eyes was familiar. She wasn’t herself, meaning the demons that plagued her head had won this time. Her son glanced down at the ground and didn’t say anything, eyes squeezing shut since he was anticipating her to beat him up over the non-existent missing fur.

“I didn’t find anything,” He whimpered when she didn’t say anything. His statement was met with silence so he risked opening one eye. Cruella lunged forward and grabbed him tightly by the arm, dragging him toward the front door.

Carlos complied since struggling only ever made things worse. His body was trembling when she reached their destination.

“What did you say?” His mother took a step closer to him, effectively towering over him. Carlos gulped back the acidic taste that formed in his throat then whimpered.

“I c-c-couldn’t find it,” He whispered. The grip from his mother’s fingers shifted and something cold pressed against his skin, the pain suddenly unbearable when Cruella tugged her hand down.

The sharpest of the kitchen knives was held in her hand. How he missed it was beyond him but there was no mistaking the crimson color of blood on the blade. A glance at his shoulder left him feeling like he was going to be sick to his stomach.

“Get out of my house,” Cruella glowered at him. Carlos nodded since he couldn’t trust himself with speaking. His mother opened the door and waited until he stepped out. “You aren’t welcome back until you find my fur.”

She slammed the door shut in his face and Carlos dropped down to his knees when the lock bolted shut, the uninjured arm rising up to firmly cover his mouth and stifle the sobs that came out of nowhere. His shoulders shook and he eventually recollected himself, tugging at one of the holes in his shirt to pull off a rag to cover his arm with.

A wince escaped when he pressed the cloth against his skin. The mark wasn’t overly deep but was painful to touch. It would need to be thoroughly cleaned up since the blade had rust on it. There was only one person he could trust with that and it would mean sucking things up until he got to Evie’s house.

It was still raining when he gathered the strength to leave the safety of the front porch, teeth roughly digging into his lower lip to keep from crying over his predicament. He could have hidden in the treehouse but it didn’t have any first aid supplies.

Carlos arrived at Evie’s home after what felt like an hour of walking. It was only a matter of minutes but the rain and pain in his shoulder made it feel far longer than it should have. He raised a hand and gently knocked the pattern he used for Evie on the door, stumbling back when her mother answered the door.

His whole body was trembling from a mix of being cold and fearing he would be sent right back home for his mother to deal with. The Evil Queen seemed unphased at having an injured teen in her doorway. She recognized him almost immediately and stuck up her nose at the sight of blood.

“Can I help you with something?” She glanced down at him, taking in the boy’s shaking form, pale face, and bloodied arm.

“Is Evie home?” Carlos asked in a whisper then cautiously brought his gaze up. “I don’t mean to intrude.”

“Not for another hour,” Grimhilde shook her head. “She’s still at school.” Carlos gulped when he heard that.

“I g-g-got out early,” His teeth chattered together. “Figured she must have t-t-too.”

She took a deep breath then let her expression soften, unable to look down on the timid teen her daughter appeared to have allied with. He was part of the reason why she and Evie were back in Maleficent’s good graces after all.

“What happened?” Grimhilde let her eyes dart to the boy’s shoulder then back to his face. Carlos shuddered and shook his head.

“F-F-Fight on the way back. Mum’s at the spa until Saturday,” He stammered. “N-N-No ointment at h-home.”

“For Hades’ sake,” The queen groaned then stepped aside. “Come in. Your mother would have my head if she knew I left you injured in the rain.”

Carlos shook his head at that, looking up at the awning that kept the rain from falling down on him. “H-Here is fine. D-don’t want to dirty the floor.”

“I wouldn’t have invited you in if I was concerned about that,” Evil Queen snapped. Carlos flinched at her tone then looked up at her, nodding his head three times before speaking.

“Yes ma-ma-ma’am,” He gasped out then slipped his shoes off, leaving them outside so he didn’t bring in a ton of water.


	7. Strays Aren’t Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evil Queen tends to Carlos’s wound, later berating her daughter for having a fondness for unwanted children.

“Stay here,” Grimhilde left him standing in the doorway, shaking even though the house was warmer than outdoors. He shuffled aside to let the door shut then looked alarmed when she returned. “Take this and follow me.”

He took the towel she offered him and wrapped it around his shoulders, breathing a sigh of relief at the bit of warmth it gave him. Carlos didn’t trust easily but Evie’s mom was in the habit of making sure they had food available when they studied. That was more than his own mom did for him so he didn’t hesitate in following after her. Of course, Grimhilde had her quirks but she was at least good about keeping them under control when her daughter and her classmates were around — unlike his mother.

“Sit,” Grimhilde gestured at a small stool in front of the fireplace. Carlos did as he was told, looking down at his lap and digging his teeth into his lip to keep from smiling at the warmth that surrounded him.

“Can I see?” She asked. Carlos looked down at his shoulder then back up at Evie’s mother, nodding as he cautiously pulled the balled up piece of fabric from his shoulder. “Should be an easy fix.”

A beat of silence passed then the woman pulled out a bottle of alcohol and an old cloth. Carlos gave her a skeptical look since he wasn’t sure what she was going to do with them.

She took the rag he used to staunch the blood then poured alcohol over it and offered it back to him. “You’re going to want to bite on that.”

Carlos tilted his head and sniffed at it. The scent was overwhelming. He wasn’t given a chance to ask why since Grimhilde pressed cloth with the same drink on it against his wound, Carlos promptly shoved the rag in his mouth and sucked on it to keep from screaming. The burn of the alcohol on his tongue proved to be a good distraction from the pain in his shoulder. Tears welled up in his eyes and he willed himself not to cry in front of her.

She finally removed the cloth then clicked her tongue, looking the spot over with a curious expression. “Shouldn’t get infected after that.”

Carlos nodded and took the rag out of his mouth, releasing a few shaky breaths once he could think without focusing on his arm.

“It’s the next best thing if you don’t have something to clean it with,” She continued her thought and held the bottle up for him to see. “I presume your mom must keep some in the house.”

“Not where I can reach,” Carlos gave a bitter chuckle. Grimhilde looked slightly relieved at hearing him laugh. “You wouldn’t happen t-to have a b-b-bandaid?”

“That is going to need more than a band-aid,” Evil Queen shook her head. “Stick a spare shirt around it when you get home and leave it. I believe we have extra ointment.”

She disappeared for a moment and Carlos curled into himself, gaze unmoving from the flickering flames of the fire. He wasn’t sure what he had done to earn a little bit of kindness and would have to do something to make up for it.

“I don’t get it,” He whispered and pulled the towel a bit tighter around himself, truly thrown off by the warmth the fire gave since Hell Hall’s fireplace was broken.

“Don’t get what?” Evie’s voice took him by surprise, sending him straight to the ground. The stool fell out from beneath him and he quickly jumped back to his feet.

“N-N-Nothing,” Carlos gasped out and covered his arm, flinching since the wound was tender.

“You had me worried,” Evie scowled at him and slowly eyed him. “Why weren’t you at school?”

Carlos went to answer and promptly shut his mouth when Grimhilde reappeared in the doorway.

“Mother,” Evie curtsied. “Why do you have my scar ointment?” Carlos gave her a sheepish expression then moved his hand down, revealing the wound on his arm. Evie didn’t say anything at first since she was struggling to keep control over her facial expressions. Blinking several times was the only answer she could come up with before throwing a look in Carlos’s direction.

“You need to apply that once in the morning and once in the evening, use soap if dirt gets into the wound,” Evil Queen didn’t bother with answering Evie, gaze fixed on Carlos.

“How much for it?” Carlos whispered. Evie blanched at that then shook her head.

“Take it,” She answered. “I was due to get a new one anyway.” Carlos went to ask otherwise and Evie gave another shake of her head. “Seriously, ‘Los.”

“Oh... Kay.” He whispered then looked back at Evie’s mother. Grimhilde didn’t say anything to either of them when she left the room.

Evie waited until she was certain her mother wasn’t coming back before turning on Carlos.

“What happened?” She hissed out, gaze darting from Carlos’s arm to his face then back again.

“It’s nothing,” He shook his head. “Just a scratch. M-M-Mum’s n-n-not home until Saturday and I r-ran out of antiseptic.” Evie narrowed her eyes at him and Carlos looked down at his feet. He was never good at lying and Evie had quickly caught on to how to see right through him.

“Did she do that to you?” She asked in a whisper, expression faltering when Carlos shook his head.

“Spa w-w-week,” He mumbled. “N-Nothing to worry about w-with me.” Evie gave an exasperated sigh and managed to give two nods in reply. She knew better than to push him for more information but he still had her worrying.

“Okay. Do you need me to walk you home?” She tilted her head to the side, studying Carlos to make sure there wasn’t anything else going on.

“N-No,” He shook his head then left the castle, making sure to look like he was heading back to Hell Hall until he was out of sight from the windows. It was looking like it would be several days spent in his treehouse until his mother decided she wasn’t mad at him anymore.

“Evie,” Grimhilde called when the door shut behind Carlos. Her daughter walked into the room and gave her a sideways glance.

“Yes, mother?” She asked. Having checked over her appearance before getting inside had certainly been a plus since her mother didn’t say anything about her looks.

“Kindly stop picking up strays,” Her mother sighed. First, it was Carlos. Then it was Drizella’s spawn. She was seeing far too much of the two and found it peculiar that neither of their guardians had an issue with how much time the children spent away from them. “I sent you to school to learn how to be evil, not to pick up unwanted children.”


End file.
